Valorant Sentinel Cypher is prized most for his intel-gathering skills that facilitate map control. On a map like Split, Cypher’s powers shine the most. A new lineup changes how players use Cypher’s smoke to create a one-way peep, enabling you to bag bonus kills while your enemies are unable to respond.
Controllers and Sentinels operate the best on maps with snug corners and tight chokes, as abilities like smokes, grenades, and molotovs render AoE damage and obscure already limited visibility. Field-restricted abilties do the trick on enemies stuck in choke points, making Split a playground for Sentinels. However, blocking sight and tagging enemies is not all that a Sentinel is good for.
To lock down pushes on Split’s bomb point B, Killjoy has proven to be most viable so far with her nanoswarm. Cypher can do the same by blocking B entrance with his cage. The Morrocan spy is pegged as a genius capable of playing tricks on opponents. While his Cyber Cage ability is fit to obscure vision, his simple toolkit carries much more potential.
On Split, stand close to the drain gates in B entrance and place your aim on the ground. Locate your crosshair in the middle, where two tiles connect. Make sure you do this first lineup during the buy period, as you’ll be exposed to enemies pushing from B main otherwise.
Aim towards the ceiling as shown in the image.
Throw the cage, but don’t deploy it instantly. Find a safe corner from where you can watch B main. An example would be the back of bomb point B. Detonate the cage when the buy period is over. This lineup will block enemy vision, but the smoke’s gap will allow you to view enemies’ legs, getting your teammates an edge over opponents.
This advanced smoke lineup shines both in full lobbies and in solo queue. Smart usage of this one-way get you as many as five kills, allowing you to scout a site independently.
How long does Cypher’s cage last?
Cypher’s cage is relatively short-lived but is much more effective than other agents’ smokes. While the hollow cover lasts for just seven seconds, its ability to notify Cypher about enemy contact sets it apart from regular smokes in Valorant. Reading the enemy’s schemes is Cypher’s speciality, thus his cage helps him gather intel while screening vision.
Cypher’s defensive kit makes him an ideal agent to anchor a bomb point without assistance. For example, in a hard push situation, the Sentinel can easily obscure enemy vision. The agent can detonate the cage within his line of sight or through Spy Cam, allotting his teammates more time to rotate and retake.
Fariha Bhatti
About Fariha Bhatti
Fariha Bhatti is a long-time gaming writer who loves competitive FPS games and slots with particularly fun themes. She got her start playing classic games developed by SNK, from legendary fighting game series The King of Fighters to challenging platform franchise Metal Slug. She now spends most of her time playing Valorant and Counter-Strike 2 while working her way through new slot releases to find her next favorite. Fariha has been published at PCGamesN, TalkEsport and ONE Esports.
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